The wearing of hats is a serious business. The American tradition of switching from felt to straw hats for summer, i.e. between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and then back again, was once taken so seriously that in September 1922 there were riots in Manhattan when sartorially zealous teenagers (!) went round knocking the straw hats off men who had yet to make the seasonal switch back to felt hats. Happily things are more relaxed these days, but it still makes sense to wear a straw hat in the heat, when it will provide the sun protection for which it was invented.

For this reason we were intrigued when one of the most notable style details that we spotted on our recent trip to LA was a nascent resurgence in the popularity of the straw hat. Hats have, largely, been out of fashion for 50 years; the great decline in their popularity has been traced back to President Kennedy's 1963 inauguration, when he controversially avoided appearing in the top hat that was traditionally worn to the event. In reality, President Kennedy communicated rather than caused the decline of hat wearing. For a variety of reasons, which are set out in Mr Neil Steinberg's excellent 2004 book Hatless Jack, headwear went from being an essential part of a man's outfit to an eccentric affectation within a generation.

For stylish men, however, the hat never went away. From author Mr Tom Wolfe to actor Mr Johnny Depp via British jazz musician Mr George Melly, creative guys seem drawn to wearing hats. It's a tradition continued by musicians like Mr Bruno Mars and K'Naan, and actors like Mr Brad Pitt. The easiest way to wear a straw hat is to follow the example of the Angelenos whose style we admired, and choose a hat with a small brim, possibly in black straw. However, if you do like the classic Panama style, give the look some attitude by wearing the hat with a tilt.

Spotted at coachella

It's easy to get the right size by measuring
your own head:

Take a soft tape measure and wrap it around your head, positioning it mid-forehead and just above the ears. Make sure it's in a straight line and is neither tight nor loose. Record the measurement in inches or centimeters and order with confidence.

We challenged our resident snackaholic, Mr Nick Carvell, to roadtest the best fast food LA has to offer. Here's his tested and digested top five:

Mobile food trucks serving gourmet food are the latest trend in LA dining. But you'll have to find their location on Twitter first. Who knew 140 characters could lead to such culinary delight?

Favoured by Mr Gordon Ramsey, this Californian institution is famed for the quality of its fast food. While the menu appears simple, there is an extensive secret menu that can be found after a quick Google search.

We recommend: A "Double-Double" (two patties and two slices of cheese) and "Animal Style" fries (an extra patty, pickles, cheese, spread and grilled onions diced up and placed on top). Multiple locations around LA.